Forensic sleuthing in the age of invention Cutting-edge Victorian science meets cunningly plotted mystery in this "stylish period thriller" (The Globe and Mail). In the 1890s, Detective William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson, Su... more &raquoe Thomas: F.B.Eye) adopts modern techniques like "finger marks" and forensics to track Toronto?s most sinister killers. Though derided by his skeptical boss (Thomas Craig, Where the Heart Is), Murdoch finds friends and allies in a lovely pathologist (Gemini&reg-winner Hélène Joy, Durham County) and an eager-to-learn constable (Jonny Harris, Hatching, Matching & Dispatching). Along the way they cross paths with some of the era?s most famous figures, including Nikola Tesla, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Prince Alfred. Winner of two Geminis® and nominated for 12 more, including best drama, best supporting actor, and best writing DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE episode commentary by stars Yannick Bisson and Jonny Harris, production designer Sandra Kybartas, and executive producer Cal Coons; interviews with the author and cast; photo gallery; cast filmographies; and character bios.&laquo less

Member Movie Reviews

I am up to season 5 and I cannot say enough good things about this series except I have been hooked from episode l.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Movie Reviews

Series spinoff based on the novels by Maureen Jennings

Murdoch fan | Toronto | 12/26/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Three television adaptions of Maureen Jennings' Victorian William Murdoch novels were so successful, the broadcaster (CITY television in Canada, UKTV in Britain and Granada International) commissioned a full fledged 13 episode series. 14 Gemini award nominations for season one led to the series being renewed for season two.This collection of episodes from season one has some stellar performances. Thomas Craig as Inspector Brackenreid, Helene Joy (Gemini award winning actress) as Dr Ogden, Jonny Harris as Constable Crabtree, and Yannick Bisson as the handsome and dapper Detective Murdoch, will provide hours of great entertainment and suspense.Standout episodes in season one include an adaptation of the novel Let Loose the Dogs, Elementary My Dear Murdoch (which features Arthur Conan Doyle), The Glass Ceiling, The Annoying Red Planet, and the touching Child's Play. Highly recommended."

Turn-of-the-century Detective William Murdoch: Not bad, but

C. O. DeRiemer | San Antonio, Texas, USA | 07/25/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Poor William Murdoch. Will he ever get a fair shake in the casting department? He's a police detective in a number of turn-of the-century mysteries set in gas-lit Toronto written by Maureen Jennings. They are good books, well written, detailed and intricate, and Murdoch is a fine protagonist. He's reasonably well educated, worked rough before he became a policeman and is a Catholic in a very Protestant town which has a largely Protestant police force. Murdoch is convinced that beating a confession out of a suspect -- the usual way of solving a crime -- is not as effective as using deduction and the new scientific methods that are being talked about. He's thoughtful, sincere and shrewd. He's not the most popular copper at his station, but he grudgingly earns the respect of his superior and most of his colleagues.

The Murdoch Mysteries is the second attempt by Canadian producers to bring Murdoch to television. The first consisted of three 90-minute programs based on three of Jennings' books. Murdoch's impostor didn't look much like Jennings' description but he was a skilled actor. It all started well but quickly drifted down into melodrama, with Murdoch in the third program involved with a loving street prostitute. With that highly unlikely development, not in the books, the axe came down on the show.

Murdoch Mysteries showed up a couple of years later. It's a conventional television approach with thirteen one-hour mysteries in a season, with two seasons finished and production started on the third. My impression is that the television producers and writers are caught between trying to bring Murdoch and his times to life and having a hit in the ratings. The series, considering that no one in their right mind on this side of the Atlantic is about to spend the kind of budget the BBC used to on production values for a series, looks good enough to be satisfying. The pressure of cranking out 13 mysteries a year is evident in stories that don't leave much time for character development or in plotting mysteries that are complex and don't cheat. The squalor and social injustice Maureen Jennings writes about are largely missing. The writers try for humor by frequently having Murdoch, who loves to apply science to solve crimes, make innocently ironic comments about how such and such an advance - the auto, ballistics, alternating current - might or might not be good for future generations. It's a bit of shtick that wears thin.

The weakness, for me, once more lies in the casting of Murdoch. Yannick Bisson is an extremely handsome actor who got his start doing television commercials and then moved into acting. He's 40 but looks younger, with eyes that probably make his lady fans swoon. His eyebrows sometimes have a life of their own. He's not a big man and he has a somewhat light voice. He can play serious but there's not a great deal of gravitas about him. Don't get me wrong; he's not a bad actor. But Murdoch requires a fine actor who can combine thoughtfulness, curiosity, some quiet humor and authority. He's also a man who can handle himself well in a brawl. Bisson, whose career has mainly been in television, reminds me of all those interchangeable and handsome Hollywood television actors who luck out in popular series. He's better than they are, but he doesn't carry much actorly weight.

If you like historical mysteries, I recommend trying out this series. It's nowhere near as gripping and detailed as, say, Holmes and Poirot. It doesn't have the character development and cleverness of Marple. The programs are a pleasant way to spend an hour at home. By all means, however, get the books and really delve into the crimes and squalor of William Murdoch's world of murder and injustice.

The season one and season two sets contain 13 episodes on four discs in each set."

SHERLOCK IN TORONTO

MM MOORE | Rhode Island | 06/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By chance I purchase the Murdoch Movies..and found them interesting and enjoyble...CSI in 1890 Victorian years....Was surprised to learned that this had been made into a series...with a new cast of actors...with my interest peeked...I purchased the set...what a pleasant surprise...all episodes interesting and enteraining....My favorite episodes were with Murdoch and Arthur Conan Doyle..playing off on each other...Also, enjoy the sparks from Murdoch and the good doctor...(not many woman doctors back then or in the field.)Have read there is a season 2..Will be waiting impatiently for that season to be release....since this program in not found on USA channels.."

Especially notable for winning two Geminis and being nominat

Midwest Book Review | Oregon, WI USA | 06/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Set in 1890's Canada, Murdoch Mysteries Season One is a four-DVD thinpack set collecting the first thirteen episodes of this popular mystery series following Detective William Murdoch (played by Yannick Bisson), a sleuth whose genius leads him to discover and use modern techniques such as "finger marks" to catch criminals. His antagonistic boss (Thomas Craig) derides his methods at every turn, but he has willing allies in a beautiful pathologist (Gemini-winner Helene Joy) and an intrepidly inquisitive constable (Johnny Harris). Famous brilliant minds of the era also make appearances, such as Nikola Tesla, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Prince Alfred. Based on the hero of the enjoyable and widely beloved Murdoch novels, Murdoch Mysteries Season One is an excellent adventure sure to please mystery fans, and is especially notable for winning two Geminis and being nominated for twelve more. Special features include episode commentary by stars Yannick Bisson and Jonny Harris, production designer Sandra Kybartas, and executive feature Cal Coons; interviews with the author and cast; a photographic gallery; cast filmographies; and brief cast biographies. 598 minutes, 16:9 widescreen, subtitles."

Sleuthing Around in "Toronto the Good"

Mr. Richard D. Coreno | Berea, Ohio USA | 06/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Based in 1890s Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the 13 episodes of the critically-acclaimed first season of this Victorian-era mystery series - with bonus features - clocks in at nearly 600 minutes.

The episodes chronicle the exploits of inventive Detective William Murdoch (portrayed by Yannick Bisson) and his unique vision to think outside the box while solving crime in the nick of time. To give special flavor to the era, historical figures like Prince Alfred and Arthur Conan Doyle make appearances, but the costumes and settings bolster the sweet story lines and solid acting.

The bonus features are the typical kind - episode commentary, interviews, photo gallery - though the angle provided by production designer Sandra Kybartas is very interesting. Do not be surprised if the hours fly by as the sleuthing heats up as Murdoch and his colleagues play their old school version of "beat the clock."